Originally Posted by Mason Malmuth
Hi Everyone:
I thought some of you might enjoy this article which I wrote many years ago.
........................The Most Important Hand Ever Played
........................................by Mason Malmuth
One of the more common themes you will find in some of today’s poker literature are articles that describe poker hands. Sometimes these are instructive in nature, and sometimes they are just describing a dramatic situation, especially an important hand played late in a tournament where much money was at stake.
In fact, a few of these articles have been written by me, and I enjoy reading many of them. They are informative, in many instances illustrate the dramatics and complexities of poker, and help to explain why this wonderful game keeps all of us occupied to some degree.
But it turns out that among all the poker hands ever played and written about, there is one particular hand whose importance is probably far more significant than all other poker hands ever played put together. Now that’s a mouthful, and the real shame is that most of you who will read this essay don’t know anything about it. Of course, that will soon be corrected.
First some background. The year was 1864 and the United States Civil War was nearing its climax. Even though the North was winning, it was not winning by enough to assure that the war would end with a favorable conclusion for the Union side. The Confederate Army led by Robert E. Lee in Northern Virginia had frustrated all Northern attempts to capture the city of Richmond, and the price the North would have to pay for total victory seemed to great for many people. This meant that there was a good chance that Lincoln would not be reelected, and that his opponent, General George B. McClellan would be the new president in 1865. There was also much speculation that McClellan would end the killing and split the United States into two countries.
However, the war in the West had gone much better for the North. The Confederacy had been split in two with the capture of Vicksburg, and they had a large army in Northern Georgia that was headed towards Atlanta. But there were still problems. The Confederate Army of The Tennesse was in its way.
This army also had a new commander, General Joseph E. Johnston, an extraordinary defensive tactician. Johnston understood that as long as his army survived, the Southern nation would survive, and didn’t want to fight unless he had a clear advantage. Thus a war of maneuver began where the two armies “danced” their way towards the city of Atlanta.
In addition, Johnston knew what might happen in the election of 1864. If he could hold out against Sherman, and not allow him that ultimate victory the North so badly needed, then Lincoln might be defeated at the polls. This was literally the best chance the South had.
Unfortunately for Johnston, Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, did not see things quite the same way. Davis wanted the invader brought to battle and defeated. So at the outskirts of Atlanta, Johnston was relieved of his command and was replaced by the aggressive and courageous fighter General John B. Hood
Now some of you might be wondering what all this has to do with a poker hand. Well, a curious event now occurred. One of Sherman’s subordinates, whose name I have never seen in my reading, related a story to his commander about Hood playing in a poker game many years before the Civil War began. Apparently, Hood had bet $2,500, a very large sum in those days, with “nary a pair” in his hand. Sherman immediately understood what this meant. Instead of being against a defensive tactician who was forcing him to fight a war of maneuver, the Union Army should brace itself for an attack. Sherman correctly assumed that someone’s aggressive tendencies were as likely to show up at the poker table as they were on the battlefield. He now knew that he was against a fighter, not a tactician.
In fact, if his army was still on maneuver and was hit directly in the “side,” the Confederates could punch a hole in his lines, separate his forces, and perhaps even defeat the whole Union cause. The dance was now over, and big betting would begin.
As suspected, the attack soon came, and after several vicious battles, including the Battle of Atlanta, Sherman — who had correctly predicted his opponent’s intention all because of a poker game held many years before — finally achieved the decisive victory that the North and President Lincoln so badly needed.
So how important was this poker hand. Well, if it hadn’t been played, there might not have been a United States as we know it, and all of world history might have been different. So don’t let anyone ever tell you that poker isn’t important, or that they just played a hand of a lifetime. I don’t care what they might claim, the results can’t compare to that hand played perhaps over 150 years ago.
Finally, a few of things that we don’t know:
1. We don’t know what form of poker Hood was playing. My guess would be some form of no limit draw poker, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
2. We don’t know if Hood was caught bluffing or showed the hand after raking in a big pot.
3. We don’t know if this was a well thought out play on Hood’s part or whether he was just steaming.
4. We have no idea as to how good a poker player Hood might have been. But I do suspect that Sherman would have been very good if he ever sat at the poker table.
